River Cats drop finale but take series against Express

The Sacramento River Cats (43-62) and Round Rock Express (47-59) played another closely contested ballgame Friday night at Raley Field and after taking the first three, Sacramento let tonight's game get away late in their 7-2 defeat.

The River Cats dug themselves an early hole as starter Matt Gage allowed two runs in the first inning. Gage found his stride from then on, however, allowing just one more run to score while recording all five of his strikeouts in the fourth and fifth innings. The left-hander set a new season-high tonight by tossing 101 pitches (63 strikes) over his 5.1 innings and of the three runs he allowed, only one was earned.
Ryder Jones was the offensive catalyst tonight for the River Cats, driving in the club's first run with an RBI-groundout in the first and then launching a solo home run in the sixth. The homer was Jones' 11^th on the year, and he now has six RBI in his last five games.
The River Cats will open a four-game set beginning tomorrow night as they welcome the New Orleans Baby Cakes to Sacramento. Right-hander Casey Kelly (5-2, 4.65) will make his first start for the River Cats and right-hander Tom Koehler (1-1, 1.50) will go for New Orleans. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live on the air on ESPN 1320 and online at rivercats.com.
Postgame Notes
Sandoval: Designated hitter Pablo Sandoval went 0-for-4 for a second consecutive night…now hitting .143 in four games with the River Cats.
Moronta: Right-hander Reyes Moronta made his second appearance with Sacramento tonight…ranked as the No.26 prospect in the Giants' organization, Moronta allowed one hit over his 1.2 innings while striking out one.
Series "W": Sacramento won their second series at home and sixth overall this year…their last home series win was April 8-10 against Tacoma…the last time the River Cats swept an opponent at home was August 19-22 against New Orleans.
To Err Is Human: The River Cats committed two errors tonight, both by shortstop Orlando Calixte…Sacramento is now tied with El Paso for the most errors committed this season (93)…dropped their record to 11-11 when committing two or more errors.  
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The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the three-time World Champion San Francisco Giants. The team plays at Raley Field in West Sacramento, consistently voted one of the top ballparks in America. River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2017 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the River Cats, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.